Mr. Dripping And WiIl Smith Art Experience: “Getting Drippy With It”

On 3 February 2021, a local hotel became the location for an unexpected event that saw

world-renown actor and singer Will Smith come face to face with his biggest fan – who is

also a highly talented and respected artist – Mark Rios, better known as Mr. Dripping.

Much is already known about Mr. Dripping, an artist who developed the painting technique of

dripping originally used by Jackson Pollock, but not much is known about his admiration for

Smith and his unrelenting, burning desire to capture his idol on canvas.

Long before his meeting with Smith, Mr. Dripping has followed inspiration and his desire to

paint without physically touching a canvas and progressing Pollock’s method further. “What

before was just lines of paint, dropped uncontrollably onto a canvas to create something that

changed with perception is now given a personal, realistic, humanly figure,” explains Mr.

He continued, “Initially, I worked alone in my studio but with requests from others to view my

process. My clients want to view the tension and risk of the process so I have started

performing around Manhattan, live. It has been an immediate success enrapturing the

audience. The tension becomes palpable, the audiences become emotionally invested and

those viewing my process all feel organically part of the painting.”

With this movement gaining much traction, Mr. Dripping’s client appointments have now

taken the form of live painting, and the painting of portraits. “I am flown around the world to

Since then, Mr. Dripping has painted celebrities which include, but are not limited to, Paul

Pogba; Chris Brown; Sara Sampaio, and now, Will Smith. “Imagine having your biggest idol

watch you perform - this is what I felt today, as Will Smith sat across the room watching me

paint a portrait of him. Will Smith has always been a person I have looked up to. I have

watched him on tv dating back to The Fresh Prince.”

“When I discovered that my celebrity idol was staying in the same hotel as me, I decided to

prepare a portrait, along with a video of the process to be delivered to him. This was even

before I knew Will Smith was willing to meet with me in a room. Mr. Dripping was then

determined to make the most out of it.

As Smith’s security, staff, and management entered the room expecting to see a video and a

dry portrait, the talented artist lifted a blanket only to reveal a white canvas. “Everyone was

stunned. If you weren’t here I’d have no choice but to deliver a painting to you, dry and in a

box, but the beauty of it lies in the process and you’re standing right here so please I ask you

to sit and enjoy,” said Mr. Dripping to Smith.

Smith smiled as he sat on the chair three meters away from the artist. Between the process,

jokes and laughter were enjoyed with a final portrait coming to life of Smith. “Can you

imagine the person who you’ve always admired is now standing and clapping for you … It’s

an inexplicable feeling that I will never forget.” To watch a recording of this rare Performance